Transportation installation, particularly for passengers

ABSTRACT

A transportation installation having a main track on which a conveyor is movable, a side or secondary track substantially parallel to the main track and a car having a first means engageable with the conveyor for moving the car with the conveyor and a second means engageable with the side track, and operating means operable by the weight of the car for selectively moving the second means into engagement with the side track and for disengaging the first means from the conveyor when the car reaches a predetermined station on the secondary track. The operating means may comprise opposed sets of bellows and conducting means for causing flow of fluid from one set of bellows into the other upon the actuation of a valve due to the action of the weight of the car on the bellows upon the actuation of the valve. The side or secondary track may deflect outwardly of the main track to free the main track for movement of other cars past the location of a car switched to the side track.

United States Patent [1 1 Giraud [451 Sept. 25, 1973 TRANSPORTATION INSTALLATION,

PARTICULARLY FOR PASSENGERS [75] Inventor: Francois L. Giraud, Plaisir, France [73] Assignee: LTV Aerospace Corporation, Dallas,

Tex.

[22] Filed: June 23, 1971 [21] App1.No.: 155,744

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data July 6, 1970 France 7024982 [52] U.S. C1 104/105, 104/130, 198/185 [51] Int. Cl E01b 25/26 [58] Field of Search 104/23 FS, 134, 88, 104/89, 93, 96, 105, 130; 105/215, 453; 198/185 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,640,227 2/1972 .Webb 104/96 3,013,505 12/1961 Burke 104/23 FS 3,648,621 3/1972 Fleming 105/215 R 3,593,665 7/1971 Marty 104/130 3,290,056 l2/l966. Smith 105/453 3,595,173 7/1971 Giraud 104/130 Primary ExaminerGerald M. Forlenza Assistant Examiner-D. W. Keen AttorneyWalter J. Jagmin et al.

[57] ABSTRACT A transportation installation having a main track on which a conveyor is movable, a side or secondary track substantially parallel to the main track and a car having a first means engageable with the conveyor for moving the car with the conveyor and a second means engageable with the side track, and operating means operable by the weight of the car for selectively moving the second means into engagement with the side track and for disengaging the first means from the conveyor when the car reaches a predetermined station on the secondary track. The operating means may comprise opposed sets of bellows and conducting means for causing flow of fluid from one set of bellows into the other upon the actuation of a valve due to the action of the weight of the car on the bellows upon the actuation of the valve. The side orsecondary track may deflect outwardly of the main track to free the main track for movement of other cars past the location of a car switched to the side track.

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SHEET 5 0F 6' i A A FRANCOIS L. GIRAUD INVENT R av W ATTOR EY TRANSPORTATION INSTALLATION, PARTICULARLY FOR PASSENGERS The present invention relates to a transportation installation, particularlyfor passengers, comprising vehicles, at least one main track, and a'secondary or side track serving, for example, a station, as well as at least one zone for switching vehicles from one track to the other, in which at least the secondary or side track runs alongside the main track.

In installations of this type in which successive vehicles enter each shunting or switching zone at a high rate, for example every two seconds, it is very difficult to switch vehicles from one track to the other in the usual way, for example by displacing a material component of one of the tracks to make it converge toward the other track; as a matter offact, in the case, for example, of two successive vehicles, where only the first is to be switched to the other track the alternate displacements of the movable component of the track, must be producible at the rate of arrival of the vehicles, for example, every two seconds, which necessitates a considerable power supply in view of the inertia of the movable component of the track. 1

In a transportation installation of the type indicated above, the present invention makes it possible to eliminate 'the use of, movable track components .in the switching'zones by having the switching executed solely by relative displacements of parts independent of the track and provided on each vehicle. Theelimination of movable track components in the switching zones is accompanied by elimination of all the drawbacks well known in conventional switching: substantial consumption of power, shocks and vibrations asa vehicle passes over a switch, and associated wear of the switch, the adjacent sections of track,'and of the vehicles. The replacement, according to the present invention, of switches which are relatively few in number in a transport installation'of this type, by special parts provided on each vehicle and therefore much more numerous might appear to be not very profitable; furthermore, this replacement might even appear to be impossible in the case of a transportation installation comprising passive vehicles, i.e., vehicles without self-contained sources of energy. The present. invention also makes it possible to remedy the latter apparent drawbacks.

The transportation installation, particularly for passengers, according to the present invention, is of the type indicated originally and it is characterized in that at least two components which are to work respectively with the two tracks are suspended from each vehicle by at least two sets of bellows with controllable intercommunication and containing a total volume; of fluid that is less than the sum of their maximum volumes also means are provided for temporarily opening thecommunication between the two sets of bellows in a switching zone so that the weight of the vehicle will then cause the partial emptying of the fullest set of bellows into the emptier set of bellows, and so that there consequently will be an exchange of the respective positions, working with the corresponding track and retraction, of the two working components of the vehicle.

Since the components with which each vehicle is provided for working with the various tracks, constituted for example by a running track or slide, by rails, conveyors, etc., can be mechanical parts as simple as wheels or shoes since their respective suspension means, namely the bellows which can be charged with a fluid under pressure, are likewise very simple and inexpensive to make, the transportation installation according to the present invention can be embodied under economic conditions substantially more favorable than if it were equipped with the usual switches. Furthermore, the present invention also makes it possible to embody transportation installations comprising passive vehicles since, in the last analysis, it is the weight of the vehicle which, in the switching zone, causes the retraction of the working component previously in use and the shiftv into a position of working with the corresponding track of its other working component thus, no self-contained source of energy needs to be mounted on each vehicle for shunting purposes. The energy consumed by the partial emptying of the fuller set of bellows will, however result in a lowering of the center of gravity of the vehicle. This is why, in an advantageous form of embodiment of the transportation system according to the present invention, the secondary track will have toward the end of each shunting or switching zone a rising ramp to restore the center of gravity of each vehicle to the level at which it was situated before the shunting zone. In this case, the energy necessary for switching the vehicle has been furnished, inthe last analysis, by the drive means of the vehicle (which are outside it in the case of a passive vehicle entrained, for example, by a conveyor).

Ina preferred form of embodiment of the transportation installation according to the invention, the main track is constituted by a substantially horizontal conveyor of a known type, for example using a belt, cable or chain, with which at least one shoe on each vehicle can work, and the secondary track is formed essentially by at least one rail which parallels the conveyor at least in each switching zone, and with which at least one wheel on each vehicle can work, said wheel being optionally equipped with a brake of known type. Preferably, the brakes on each vehicle, of the hydraulic or pneumatic type, are supplied from the vehicle suspension bellows which is most full, possibly by means of retarding means. Since the pressure prevailing in the fuller set of suspension bellows is directly proportional to the weight of the loaded vehicle, this disposition has the advantage of insuring automatic adaptation of the brakingpower of each vehicle to its loaded weight.

According to another advantageous but optional characteristic of the invention, the means for temporarily opening the communication between the two sets of bellows on a vehicle in a switching zone are operated by a comparator which compares, for example, a coded indication of the destination, selected by the passenger in the vehicle considered, with a coded indication placed at the entry to the said switching zone. The latter disposition is adaptable in particular to the switching zone placed before each station served by a secondary track and allowing switching from the main toward this secondary track. While the vehicle is in the switching zone that is situated beyond the station and allowing the switching of any vehicle from the secondary track serving it toward the main track,.the said means for temporarily opening communication between the two sets of bellows on the vehicle are operated for example, by closing the doors of the said vehicle, which is done as it leaves the station.

By way of example, several forms of embodiment of a transportation installation for passengers according to the present invention are described below and illustrated schematically in the attached drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic representation in perspective of one section of track of a first form of embodiment of the passenger transportation installation, with cars suspended from a horizontal conveyor constituting the main track of this installation.

FIG. 2 illustrates, on a larger scale, the cooperation between the conveyor and the car suspension device of FIG. 1.

FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate in cross section and side view respectively, the different phases in the switching of the car in FIG. 1 from the main track of the installation, constituted by the horizontal conveyor, toward one of its secondary tracks, constituted essentially by two rails placed on either side of the said conveyor.

FIG. 5 is a schematic representation, in perspective, of a second form of embodiment of the passenger transportation installation according to the present invention, with cars suspended from a horizontal conveyor constituting the main track of this installation.

FIG. 6 illustrates, in perspective and on a larger scale, the car suspension device of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 illustrates in cross section the various phases in the switching of the car of FIG. 5 from the main track of the installation, constituted by the horizontal conveyor toward one of its secondary tracks, constituted essentially by a rail above the said conveyor.

FIG. 8 is a schematic illustration of the operating principle of a third form of embodiment of the transportation installation according to the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a schematic illustration of the operating principle of a fourth form of embodiment of the transportation installation according to the present invention.

In the first form of embodiment of the passenger transportation installation according to the present invention, which is illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4a, 4b and 40 inclusive, the main track is formed by a horizontal conveyor 1, supported at a sufficient distance above the ground by pylons 2a, 2b, etc. (FIG. 1). Horizontal conveyor 1 can be of any type, for example, belt, cable or chain, or some other suitable type. The vehicles of the said installation are of the passive type, i.e., they contain no self-contained source of energy which can serve to drive or entrain them, and in the example illustrated, they are each formed by a car, such as the one designated by 3 in FIG. 1, suspended from the horizontal conveyor 1 by a suspension device that cooperates with the upper face of horizontal conveyor 1, the assembly of which designated by the numeral 4, is more clearly seen in FIG. 2. In this FIG. 2 there is represented, schematically, the support 5 of conveyor 1, in the form of a channel bar, whose vertical flanges 5 a and 5b support, respectively, two rails 6a and 6b (see FIGS. 3b and 3c) forming a side or secondary track of the said transportation installation; a secondary track of this type can be provided only at the crossing of each station, as well as in the two switching zones placed respectively before and beyond each station, to switch any vehicle that is to be stopped at the said station from the main track of the installation toward the secondary track and from the secondary track toward the main track, respectively, the stop being made on the said secondary track at the level of the station. It was assumed that the section of track represented in FIG. 1, between the tow pylons 2a and 2b, corresponds to the switching zone situated before a station, and the views in FIGS. 3a and 4a, 3b and 4b, 3c and 4c, correspond, respectively, to the moments of passage of car 3 at the points marked by arrows a, b, c, (FIG. I).

In FIGS. 3a and 4a, it is seen that there is no side or secondary track before the entrance to the said switching zone; in FIGS. 3b and 417 it is seen that, towards the center of the switching zone, the side track is formed by rails 6a and 6b fixed, respectively, to the bottoms of vertical flanges 5a and 5b respectively of the support 5 of conveyor 1; in FIG. 3c and 40, it is seen that toward the downstream end of the said switching zone, the side or secondary track is formed by rails 6a and 6b, fixed respectively to the tops of the vertical flanges 5a and 5b respectively, of the support 5 of conveyor 1, the said rails then forming a ramp rising between points b and c of the switching or shunting zone, as is seen, in particular, in FIG. 40. It is seen in FIG. 1 that the suspension device 4 is joined to the car by an arm 7 whose upper end forms a fork, whereof the two substantially horizontal branches 8 and 9 can be clearly seen in FIG. 3. The suspension device 4 also comprises a carriage 10, having two pairs of lateral wheels 11a and 11b, which is suspended from the upper branch 8 of the fork of arm 7 by a set of four bellows, designated as a whole by 12. Suspension device 4 also comprises a shoe 13 which, in the form of embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2 is a simple rectangular plate made of some suitable, strong material, which is placed between the two pairs of lateral wheels 11a and 11b of carriage 10, and suspended from the lower branch 9 of arm 7 by another set of four bellows 14. In the form of embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2, each set of four bellows 12 and 14 comprises a first set of bellows aligned in the direction of movement of the vehicle, indicated by the arrow F in FIGS. 1 and 2, and a second pair of bellows aligned in the direction perpendicular to the movement of the vehicle; the four bellows in each set 12 and 14 communicate with one another, at least by pairs, through ducts which are not shown, and in these ducts, chokes have been inserted in known fashion. For the sake of simplicity in FIG. 4, each set of bellows 12 and 14 is represented by a single bellows. In addition, in FIG. 4, the representation of the various mechanical parts of the suspension device 4 has been considerably simplified in order to be able to also indicate in schematic fashion the means which, according to the present invention, permit the establishment of controllable communication between the two sets of bellows l2 and 14. These means comprise, essentially, two ducts 15 and 16, in at least one of which a choke, symbolized at 17, has been inserted and which run from the two sets of bellows 12 and 14 respectively and terminate at two entries of a threeway valve 18, the third passage of which is the termination of a duct 19 which also contains a choke which is schematically indicated at 20 and which terminates at a pneumatic or hydraulic braking device 21 adapted to the wheels 11a and 11b of the carriage 10 (only one of these wheels has been represented in FIG. 4 for the sake of clarity). Finally, two guide rollers 22 are mounted to rotate beyond the ends of the shoe 13 which supports them in the form of embodiment considered, by oblique arms 23, solid respectively with the four corners of the said rectangular shoe 13; in the form of embodiment illustrated, the two rollers 22 have a width slightly less than that of shoe 13 which is itself substantially equal to that of conveyor 1; an endless belt 24, made of a suitable strong and flexible material, is guided by the two rollers 22 so that its lower strand passes between the lower face of shoe l3 and the upper face of conveyor 1, as seen in particular in FIG. 4. The length of endless belt 24 is selected so that the latter will always have sufficient tension, which can optionally be adjusted by known means that need not be described. A pneumatic or hydraulic braking device 25, acting on at least one of the two rollers 22, is supplied by a duct 26 which is branched off duct 16 coming from the set of bellows l4 and in which a choke, schematically indicated at 27, is inserted.

The passenger transportation installation according to the present invention which is illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4c, and which has just been described, functions as follows:

The two' sets of communicating bellows 12 and 14 contain a total volume of fluid that isless than the sum of their maximum'volumes. In normal operation between twoconsecutive stations of the installation, the set of bellows 14 is the fuller and remains so because three-way valve 18 occupies the position seen in FIG. 4a, in which it isolates the two sets of' bellows 12 and 14. from one another; consequently, the wheels 1 la and llbofcarriage are raised above conveyor 1 because the set of suspension bellows 12 of carriage 10 is at minimum extension; hence, shoe l3 rests on the said conveyor 1 and the suspension of the car is insured by setof bellows 14 which are fuller and at their maximum extension. The brake device is now continuously fed through duct 26 and therefore endless belt 24 is stationary with respect to shoe 13 which, of course, is resting on conveyor 1 which entrains it in the direction of arrow F. The pitching and rolling motions of the car are damped, respectively, by the nozzles inserted in the communicating ducts between the pairs of bellows, aligned respectively in the direction of movement of the car and perpendicular thereto. At the entrance to the switching zone situated before a station in the said transportation installation, a comparator 28 (FIG. 3a) fixed for example to shoe 13 of suspension device 4, compares the coded indicator of the station, borne by a suitable part 29 that is solid, for example, with pylon 2a, with a coded indication of the destination of the car, selected, for example, by its passenger when he has taken his seat. If the indication of the destination selected by the passenger on the one hand and the indicator of the next station borne by organ 29 on the other hand coincide, comparator 28 produces a signal (an electrical signal, for example) which is transmitted to a device operating the threeway valve 18 (which is, for example, a valve with electromagnetic control) in such a way as to shift the latter from the position represented in FIG. 4a, in which it cuts off ducts l5 and 16 coming, respectively, from the two sets of bellows 12 and 14, into the position represented in FIG. 4b, in which it connects the said ducts l5 and 16. There are a great many known embodiments of means to allow the car passenger to select the desired destination in coded form, means to compare this coded indication with the coded station indication, and means to actuate the three-way valve as a function of the result of this comparison; it is therefore unnecessary to represent and de-' scribe these various means in detail. When the car, which is still being entrained by horizontal conveyor 1, passes'over the first part of the switching or shunting the result of producing a partial emptying of the said lower set of bellows 14 into the upper set of bellows 12. This partial emptying and the compression of the lower set of bellows 14 and concomitant descent of the arm 7 and of the car 3 which it supports are gradual thanks to the choke 17 inserted in the duct 15; and since, at the same time, the expansion of the upper set of bellows 12 increases gradually, the carriage 10 slowly descends toward the conveyor 1, so that its lateral wheels 11a, 11b gradually approach the rails 6a, 6b of the side track provided in the said switching zone. The presence of choke 27' in the duct 26 feeding the braking device 25 of the guide rollers 22 keeps the pressure fixed at its maximum value in braking device 25 in spite of the pressure drop in the lower set of bellows 14, so that, in this first part of the switching or shunting zone, the endless belt 24 remains stationary relative to shoe 13 and conveyor 1. But when the car reaches the middle b of the said switching or shunting zone, the pressure in braking device 25 of roller 22 begins todiminish, and when the said car reaches the downstream end 0 of the switching or shunting zone, braking device 25, which is fully released, allows free rotation of rollers 22. In the meantime, under the influence of the continuing expansion of the upper set of bellows l2, lateral wheels 11a and 11b of carriage 10 have come into contact with rails 6a and 6b of the secondary or side track, on which the said wheels have begun to run. At the end 0 of the said switching or shunting zone, a control signal, produced, for example, by a clockwork mechanism previously started by comparator 28 at the entrance to the switching or shunting zone, shifts three-way valve 18 from the position represented in FIG. 4b, in which it connected the two sets of bellows l2 and 14 through secondary or side track 6a-6b forms a rising ramp, carriage l0 gradually rises above horizontal conveyor 1, whose level does not change in each switching zone, and, by means of the upper set of bellows 12, which is particularly rigid owing to the pressure prevailing therein, the said carriage l0 raises car 3 by arm 7, and at the same time, by means of the lower set of bellows 14, it raises shoe 13 above conveyor 1. Toward the downstream end of the said switching zone, car 3 therefore works exclusively, by means of the wheeled carriage 10, with side track 6a6b'. The slope of the ramp formed by rails 6a-6b of this secondary or side track, in the second part of the switching zone, is preferably selected so that the center of gravity of the car leaving the said switching zone will be at the samelevel as it was before the said switching zone, so as to compensate exactly for the sinking of the said center of gravity produced, toward the center of the said switching zone, by

the compression of the lower set of bellows 14 under the influence of the weight of the loaded car. As indicated above, the braking of the wheels on carriage l begins before shoe l3 ceases to work, by means of the lower strand of endless belt 24, with the upper face of conveyor 1; since this braking of carriage produces a non-zero relative speed between conveyor 1 on the one hand and car 3 and, especially, its supporting shoe 13 on the other,'the friction arising between the working faces of conveyor 1 and shoe 13 in the absence of endless belt 24, is palliated by the friction entrainment of endless belt 24, which is made possible by the release of braking device 25 of its guide rollers 22. The braking of the wheels of carriage 10 by braking device 21 continues beyond the downstream end of the said switching or shunting device, on the approach to the station which follows it, so as to stop carriage 10, and car 3 which rests by this means on secondary or side track 6a-6b, even with the said station.

When car 3 is to leave the said station, a control signal, for example an electrical one produced automatically, for example, as a function of the closing of the car doors, shifts three-way valve 18 from its position represented in FIG. 4c in which itconnects the braking device 21 of the wheels on carriage 10 with the upper set of bellows 14, in which a maximum pressure prevails, into its position represented in FIG. 4b in which it again connects the two sets of bellows 12 and 14; as a result, the upper set of bellows 12 again partially and gradually empties into the lower set of bellows 14, under the influence of the weight of the loaded car. Consequently, arm 7 tends to drop, as does shoe 13, the latter at a faster rate than arm 7 and car 3 owing to the gradual expansion of the lower set of bellows 1.4, so that the said shoe 13 applies the endless belt onto the upper face of conveyor 1, which immediately entrains in rotation on its guide rollers 22, whose braking device 25 has not yet been recharged to its maximum pressure, owing to the action of choke 27. As soon as the suspension device 4 is resting with shoe 13 on horizontal conveyor 1, the continuation of the compression of the upper set of bellows 12 causes wheels 11a, 11b of carriage 10 to rise above rails 6a-6b of the secondary or side track. As the maximum pressure, transmitted by duct 26, is established in the braking device of rollers 22, the relative speed between endless belt 24 and conveyor l diminishes and is cancelled out when braking device 25 locks rollers 22; from this moment on, the assembly of suspension means 4 and car 3 is entrained without relative speed by conveyor 1. The car, which has now reached the downstream end of the second switching or shunting zone, placed beyond the said station, now works exclusively, by means of shoe 13, with the horizontal conveyor which constitutes the main track of the station. As in the upstream switching or shunting zone, the secondary or side track, constituted essentially by rails 6a6b, forms, in the second part of the downstream switching or shunting zone, a rising ramp arranged to compensate for the sinking of the center of gravity of the car produced on leaving the station, by compression of the upper set of bellows 12.

The form of embodiment, described above, of a passenger transportation installation according to the present invention can be varied in many ways, most of which are obvious to the man of the art, and all skilled in which come within the scope of the invention; these variants can relate in particular to the embodiment of means for establishing controllable communication between the two sets of suspension bellows, as well as the means provided for temporarily opening this communication in a switching zone. The suspension device 4 for the car can likewise be embodied in diverse ways, all of which, however, comprise a part such as a shoe to work with the horizontal conveyor 1 and at least one wheel to work with at least one rail, parallel to the aid conveyor 1 and constituting the secondary or side track of the installation, passing through each station of the installation, and the two switching zones which bracket it. The endless belt 24, guided by rollers 22 so as to pass between the opposing faces of shoe 13 and conveyor 1, can be replaced by any equivalent means, allowing control of the friction in the course of the relative movements of the said shoe and the said conveyor, i.e., during the braking of the carriage 10 on the secondary or side track before each station of the installation, and during its acceleration on the said secondary or side track beyond each station.

It should be noted that each of the two braking devices (21 for wheels Ila-11b of carriage l0 and 25 for guide rollers 22 of endless belt 24) are fed, respectively, from upper and lower sets of bellows when the respective pressures prevailing therein are maximum; the corresponding set of bellows, which is then the fuller, actually supports the weight of the car and the load and each of the braking devices 21 and 25 consequently is always fed at a pressure which corresponds to the internal pressure in the set of bellows under load and which hence is proportional to the weight of the loaded car. This advantageous arrangement insures that the load of the vehicle, in particular the number of passengers, will govern not only the power with which the carriage 10 is braked just before each station of the installation but also the acceleration communicated to it on leaving each station, thanks to the frictional entrainment of endless belt 24 by conveyor 1; hence, this arrangement permits gradual stops and starts at each station of the installation, with no jolting whatever of the load of the car.

It goes without saying that the three-way valve 18 (FIG. 4) could also be controlled, as a variation, directly from car 3 by one of its occupants.

The chokes 17, 20,27 provided respectively in ducts 15, 19 and 26 can likewise be replaced by equivalent means, in particular by chambers the filling times of which delay the transmission to the outlet duct of the pressure prevailing in the input duct.

In another variant, the secondary or side track formed essentially by rails 6a-6b has a rising ramp in only one of the two switching or shunting zones situated respectively before and beyond each station of the installation. The slope of this single rising ramp is selected, however, so that, as the car travels over it, said car will rise to a height twice that of its sinking caused, in each of the switching or shunting zones, by the partial emptying of the fuller set of bellows into the emptier set of bellows; thanks to this arrangement, the center of gravity of each car leaving the switching or shunting zone ahead of each station will unfailingly be at the level which it should normally occupy during the entrainment of the car by the horizontal conveyor, constituting the main track of the installation.

The two sets of four communicating bellows 12 and 14 in the suspension device of car 3 also have the following advantage: the pair of bellows aligned in the direction of movement contributes to keeping the floor of car 3 horizontal on the ramps of the main or the secondary track supporting this suspension means, particularly on the rising ramps which are provided in the second part of certain switching or shunting zones; and since the pair of bellows aligned perpendicular to the direction of movement can play the same role, this makes it optionally possible to give the various tracks of the transportation installation according to the invention a cant calculated to compensate for the effects of centrifugal force on the curves that may be present in the various tracks.

The second form of embodiment of the passenger transporting installation according to the present invention, represented in FIGS. 5 to 7, differs from the first form of embodiment, described above in connection with FIGS. 1 to 4, only in the points noted below. It should be noted that FIG. 5 represents, in schematic form, a switching zone situated before a station in the transportation installation. While, as in the first form of embodiment, the main track is constituted essentially by a horizontal conveyor 1, the secondary or side track, which exists only in each of the stations, as well as in the two switching zones bracketing it, is constituted essentially by a single rail 6 that, at least in each of the switching zones (i.e., between a and c in FIG. 5), is parallel to conveyor 1, above which the rail 6 is supported a short distance away by pylons 2a, 2b, etc. embodiment illustrated, are independent of pylons 2a, 2b supporting main track 1. Beyond the lower outlet 0 of the switching or shunting zone represented in. FIG. 5, the rail 6 constituting the side or secondary track diverges in a region d from main track 1 and is no longer parallel with it, and terminates in the corresponding station of the installation, beyond which the said rail 6' constituting the side or secondary track again veers toward the main track, then returns above it, at the entrance to the switching zone situated beyond the said station. As seen in FIG. 6, the suspension device 4 is connected to the roof of the car 3 by an arm 7, the upper end of which likewise forms a fork and from the upper branch 8 of which is suspended, by means of a set of communicating bellows 12, a carriage 10 equipped with two terminal'wheels 11 adapted to work with rail 6 constituting the secondary or side track, while from its lower branch 9 there is suspended, by a second set of communicating bellows 14, a shoe 13 adapted to work with the horizontal conveyor 1 that constitutes the main track. In the form of embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 6 through 7d each of the two sets of communicating bellows l2 and 14 comprises only one pair of bellows, aligned in the direction of movement of car 3, indicated by arrow F. Moreover, the means provided according to the present invention for establishing controllable communication between the two sets of bellows l2 and 14 can be embodied in the manner illustrated in FIGS. 4a, 4b, and 4c and described above in reference to the first form of embodiment; in particular, the three-way valve 18 (FIG. 4), can be controlled by a comparator 28 (FIG. 7a), solid with shoe 13, when it passes at the level of a part 29 borne by one of the pylons 2a supporting the main track, at the entrance to the upstream switching zone, this part 29 having a coded indication characteristic of the installation station in question. Finally, the secondary or side track constituted essentially by rail 6 comprises, in zone d and included between the outlet from the switching or shunting zone before the'said station and the station itself, means independent of cars 3 to stop the carriages 10 of cars 3 when they reach this zone d of the side track; these means for stopping the carriages of the cars can be constituted, for example, by track brakes of a suitable known type. Furthermore, the zone of the side or secondary track included between the said station and the entrance to the switching zone placed beyond this station comprises means independent of the cars to accelerate the carriages of these cars to the speed of conveyor 1 which constitutes the main track; these accelerating means can be of a suitable, known type, for example, a conveyor of some type, in particular of the type described in the US Pat. application No. 155,924 of Francois Giraud filed on June 23, 1971 and entitled, Transportation Installation.

The passenger transportation installation illustrated in FIGS. 5 to 7 works as follows: between stations, shoe 13 of the suspension device rests on the upper face of the horizontal conveyor and supports car 3 by means of its arm 7 and the lower set of communicating bellows 14, which is then the fuller, as seen in FIG. 7a, which views corresponds to a point a (FIG. 5) which immediately precedes the entrance to the switching or shunting zone situated ahead of a station in the installation.

-As soon as comparator 28 causes the opening of the communication between the two sets of bellows 12 and 14, the lower bellows 14 (which are fuller) empty partially and gradually into the upper bellows 12, which has the effect of lowering car 3 by a certain height and carriage 10 by twice that height. The wheels of carriage 10 at that time engage, when the car 3 is near the centerb of the said switching zone, the upper rail 6 constituting the side track, as shown in FIG. 7b. The rising ramp which the upper rail 6 forms toward the outlet c of the said switching zone simultaneously causes the raising of car 3 and the lifting of shoe 13 of its suspension device 4 above the horizontal conveyor 1, as shown in FIG. 70. FIG. 7d shows how, beyond the upper switching zone, the rail 6 constituting the secondary or side track deflects carriage l0 and car 3 which it supports from the main track and brings it into the station proper, where the said car arrives with practically zero speed thanks to the action of the braking device provided in zone d, as indicated above. Thanks to the action of the accelerator device provided just beyond the station, the carriage 10, running on rail 6, arrives at the entrance to the downstream switching or shunting zone with a speed practically equal to that of conveyor 1; automatic means, already mentioned in reference to the first form of embodiment, then open the communication between the two sets of bellows l2 and 14 so that the weight of the car causes the partial and gradual emptying of upper bellows 12 into lower bellows l4, and consequently the lowering of shoe 13 into contact with conveyor 1 and the movement of wheels 10 up from the upper rail 6 which constitutes the secondary or side track. Hence, on leaving the downstream switching or shunting zone, the carriage supporting the car again rests exclusively on the main track.

This second form of embodiment of the invention is susceptible of substantially the same variants as the first form of embodiment. The means provided before and beyond each station for stopping each car and for accelerating it to the speed of the conveyor constituting the main track can also be constituted essentially by reiii spectively rising and descending ramps formed in these zones by the single rail constituting the secondary or side track. The braking of the carriage wheels can, of course, also be produced as in the first form of embodiment by a braking device solid with the said carriage; the accelerator means could also be mounted on the carriage of each car, but this would require the provision of a self-contained source of energy to each car.

In the two forms of embodiment of the invention described above, each switching zone is designed to switch a vehicle of the installation between its main track and a side or secondary track serving a station of the installation. But the means described above can also be utilized in an installation according to the present invention to equip a switching zone for switching a vehicle from a first track of the installation toward a second track, which does not necessarily serve a station; in other words, the switching means according to the present invention make it possible to solve all the switching problems in transportation installations comprising several tracks which are independent of one another. The two tracks of the installation between which the switching can take place, using the means of the invention, can be of any nature: running on roller tracks or slides, with or without guide rails, diverse conveyors, faces for supporting air-cushions, etc.; each vehicle of the installation will, of course, have to be adapted to work with the two tracks between which they are to be shunted, i.e., in particular, with wheels, shoes, air cushions, etc.

In the third form of embodiment of the invention, illustrated very schematically in FIG. 8, each vehicle of the installation (not shown) is suspended by means of an arm 7 and two bellows 12a and 12b from two carriages 10a and 10b bearing, respectively, wheels 11a and 11b, designed to work respectively with tracks 32a and 32b, which in this example of embodiment are situated at the same level. The upper bellows 12a communicates with two entries of a four-way valve 18 by means of ducts 33a and 34a, in which ducts check valves 35 and 35' are mounted in order to permit flows in the said ducts 33a and 34a only in mutually opposite directions; lower bellows 12b also communicates'with the two other entries of valve 18 through two ducts 33b and 34b. When valve 18 occupies the position seen in FIG. 8, lower bellows 12b, which previously had the greater load and by means of which the car 3 was resting on the track 32b by means of the wheel 11b of carriage 10b, is emptied partially and gradually into upper bellows 12a, which, in the manner described above, causes wheel 11a of carriage 10a to come in contact with track 32a, then lifts wheel 11b of carriage 10 off track 32b, thus causing the switching of the said vehicle from track 32b toward track 32a. The reverse of this switching operation is, of course, obtained by placing valve 18 in such a way that upper bellows 12 can empty into lower bellows 12b through ducts 33a and 33b.

The fourth form of the invention, illustrated schematically in FIG. 9, includes means to switch any one of the vehicles of the installation, particularly a car (not shown) suspended from an arm 7, that forms a fork at the top, between two horizontal conveyors 1a and lb in a switching zone in which they are exactly superposed. The upper and lower branches 8 and 9 of the fork support, respectively, the fixed ends of bellows 12a and 12b, whereof the mobile ends, downwardly pointing, are solid with plates 37a and 37b on which are articulated, by axes 38a and 38b shoes 39a and 39b, shaped to adapt to the upper faces of horizontal conveyors la and lb. Leaf springs 35a and 35b arc fixed at one end, respectively, to the upper and lower branches 8 and 9 of the fork on arm 7; the free ends of the leaf springs 35a and 35b, guided by studs 36a and 36b fixed to the said branches 8 and 9, tend to compress bellows 12a and 12b, respectively.

This fourth form of embodiment functions as follows: in the position of valve 18 represented in FIG. 9, lower bellows 12b is the fuller; and, as it bends the free end of leaf spring 35b, it applies shoe 39b on the upper face of the lower conveyor 1b. In order to produce the switching onto upper conveyor In, it is sufficient to shift valve 18 into the position in which it allows lower bellows 12b to discharge into upper bellows 12a, under the influence of the weight of the load borne by arm 7 and reinforced by the tension of leaf spring 35b. The expansion of bellows 12a, which bends the free end of leaf spring 35a, brings upper shoe 39a into position to work with upper conveyor 1a. The operations necessary for the reverse switching or shunting operation are self-evident.

While only one embodiment of the invention, together with modifications thereof, has been described in detail herein and shown in the accompanying drawing, it will be evident that various further modifications are possible in the arrangement and construction of its components without departing from the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. Transportation installation, particularly for passengers, comprising passive vehicles, at least one main track, and a side track serving, for example, a station, as well as at least one zone for switching or shunting from one track toward the other, in which the side track runs alongside the main track, characterized in that at least two components for working, respectively, with the two tracks are suspended from each vehicle by at least two sets of bellows with controllable intercommunication and containing a total volume of fluid that is less than the sum of their maximum volumes, and that means are provided for temporarily opening the communication between the two sets of bellows of a one of the vehicles in a switching or shunting zone so that the weight of the vehicle will cause the partial emptying of the fuller set of bellows into the emptier set of bellows and so that, as a result, the respective position of working with the corresponding track, and of retraction of the two working components of the vehicle, will be exchanged.

2. Transportation installation according to claim 1, characterized in that, toward the downstream end of at least one of the switching or shunting zones, the side track has a rising ramp to raise the center of gravity of the switched or shunted vehicle to the level at which it was situated relative to the main track before the switching or shunting.

3. Transportation installation according to claim 1, characterized in that the main track includes a conveyor substantially parallel to the ground and with which at least one of said components on each vehicle can work, and in that the side track is formed essentially by at least one rail which runs alongside the conveyor at least in each switching or shunting zone and with which at least one of the said components on each vehicle can work.

4. Transportation installation according to claim 3, characterized in that the side track comprises, before each station of the installation, means for braking the wheels of the vehicle to be stopped at the station.

5. Transportation installation according to claim 3, characterized in that the side track comprises, beyond each station of the installation, means to acceleratea vehicle which is stopped at the station up to the speed of the conveyor.

6. Installation according to claim 5, characterized in that the secondary or side track is formed essentially by a single rail placed, at least in each switching or shunting zone, just above the conveyor.

7. Transportation installation according to claim- 3, characterized in that the side track generally parallels the conveyor where the side track passes through a station of the installation and in that each vehicle comprises means for gradually varying the relative speed of the vehicle and the conveyor between a maximum value at which the vehicle is stopped relative to the station and a zero value at which the vehicle is entrained without slip by the conveyor.

8. Transportation installation according to claim 7, characterized in that the speed-varying means of each vehicle are of the fluid-powered type and are fed from the set of vehicle suspension bellows which is fuller at the time. 1

9. Transportation installation according to claim 3, characterized in that each vehicle comprises an arm having a free end that forms a fork with two superposed arms and that the said at least two components of the vehicle are suspended respectively from the upper and lower armsof the said fork by means of the two sets of bellows.

10. Installation according to claim 9, characterized in that the side track is formed essentially by two rails placed on either side of the horizontal conveyor and in that one of the said at least two components comprises at least two wheels engageable with the side track and rotatably mounted on the uppermost of the said arms, and another of the said components comprises a plate mounted on the lowermost of the arms for resting upon the conveyor, and in that there is provided means for selectively arranging the positioning of the wheels and plate in a first arrangement in which the plate rests upon the conveyor and the wheels are spaced above the side track and a second arrangement in which the wheels are in contact with the side track and the plate is spaced above and free of support from the conveyor.

1 1. Transportation installation according to claim 10, characterized in that the installation comprises means for gradually varying the speed of the vehicle including an endless belt guided to pass between the plate and the conveyor on which it rests and means 'for gradually braking the movement of entrainment communicated by the conveyor to the said endless belt.

12. Transportation installation according to claim 1, characterized in that the means for temporarily opening the communication between the two sets of bellows while the vehicle is in a switching or shunting zone are controlled by means for comparing a coded indication of the destination carried by the vehicle with a coded indication placed at the entrance to the said switching or shunting zone.

13. Transportation installation according to claim 12, characterized in that each station served by a secondary or side track is bracketed by two switching or shunting zones, and the means for temporarily opening communication between the two sets of bellows on a vehicle in the switching or shunting zone situated beyond each station are operated by closing the doors of the said vehicle on leaving the station.

14. Transportation installation according to claim 1, characterized in that each of the two sets of suspension bellows of the vehicle comprises at least two pairs of mutually communicating bellows, one of which pairs is aligned in one of the two directions including the direction of movement of the vehicle and the other of which pairs is aligned in the direction perpendicular thereto.

15. Transportation installation according to claim 1, characterized in that each vehicle comprises springs tending to compress the bellows.

16. A transportation installation including: an overhead main track comprising a movable conveyor; a switching track extending alongside the main track; and a car movable by said conveyor along said main track, said car having first means engageable with said conveyor for zero relative motion between the car and conveyor during at least part of the time in which the car is moved by the conveyor and second means on said car engagable with said switching track, for selectively supporting said car on said conveyor and said side track, respectively.

17. The installation of claim 16, wherein said first means comprises a first support means movable vertically relative to said car between a first, lower, operative position wherein said support means engages said conveyor and a second, upper, inoperative position wherein it is out of engagement with said conveyor, and said second means comprises second support means movable between a lower, operative position wherein it is engageable with said side track and an upper, inoperative position wherein it is out of engagement with the side track, and third means for moving said first and second support means between their operative and inoperative positions. i

18. The installation of claim 17 wherein said first and second support means include first and second bellows connecting said first and second support means, respectively, to said car, and said third means comprises conduit means for connecting said first and second bellows for permitting flow of fluid therebetween, and valving means operatively associated with said conduit means for selectively permitting flow of fluid from said first bellows into second bellows when the first support means is engaged with said conveyor by the force of the weight of the car exerted on said first bellows and for selectively permitting flow from said second bellows into the said first bellows by the force of the weight of the car exerted on said second bellows when said second support means is in engagement with said side track.

19. The installation of claim 18, and brake means operatively associated with said first support means for varying the force of frictional engagement of said first support means with said conveyor.

20. The installation of claim 19, wherein said brake means is operable by the fluid pressure from said first bellows means and the frictional force of engagement of said first support means with said conveyor means in accordance with the fluid pressure in said second bellows.

21. The installation of claim 20, and second brake means operatively associated with said second support means for varying the force of frictional engagement of said second support means with said conveyor.

22. The installation of claim 21, wherein said second brake means is operable by the force of fluid pressure from said second bellows means and the frictional force of engagement of said second support means with said track varies in accordance with the fluid pressure in said second bellows.

23. A car for use in transportation installation having an overhead main track comprising a movable conveyor and a side track extending alongside the main track, said car including first means engageable with the conveyor and a second means engageable with said side track for supporting said car selectively on said conveyor for movement therewith and on said side track, respectively, the car being characterized in that said first means comprises first support means movable vertically relative to said car between a first, lower, operative position wherein said support means is engageable with the conveyor and a second, upper, inoperative position out of engagement with the conveyor, and said second means comprises a second support means movable between a lower, operative position wherein it is engageable with the side track and an upper, inoperative position wherein it is out of engagement with the side track, the car further comprising third means for moving said first and second means between their operative and inoperative positions, the first and second support means including first and second bellows connecting said first and second support means, respectively, to said car, and said third means comprising conduit means for connecting said first and second bellows for permitting flow of fluid therebetween, there being provided valving means operatively associated with said conduit means for selectively permitting flow of fluid from said first bellows into said second bellows by the force of the weight of the car exerted on said first bellows when said first support means is engaged with the conveyor and for selectively permitting flow from said second bellows into said first bellows by the force of the weight of the car exerted on said second bellows when said second support means is engaged with the side track.

24. The car of claim 23, and brake means operatively associated with said first support means for varying the force of frictional engagement of said first support means with the conveyor.

25. The installation of claim 24 wherein the said brake means is operable by the fluid pressure from the first bellows and the frictional force of engagement of said first support means with said conveyor means varies in accordance with the fluid pressure in said first bellows.

i t I. I k 

1. Transportation installation, particularly for passengers, comprising passive vehicles, at least one main track, and a side track serving, for example, a station, as well as at least one zone for switching or shunting from one track toward the other, in which the side track runs alongside the main track, characterized in that at least two components for working, respectively, with the two tracks are suspended from each vehicle by at least two sets of bellows with controllable intercommunication and containing a total volume of fluid that is less than the sum of their maximum volumes, and that means are Provided for temporarily opening the communication between the two sets of bellows of a one of the vehicles in a switching or shunting zone so that the weight of the vehicle will cause the partial emptying of the fuller set of bellows into the emptier set of bellows and so that, as a result, the respective position - of working with the corresponding track, and of retraction - of the two working components of the vehicle, will be exchanged.
 2. Transportation installation according to claim 1, characterized in that, toward the downstream end of at least one of the switching or shunting zones, the side track has a rising ramp to raise the center of gravity of the switched or shunted vehicle to the level at which it was situated relative to the main track before the switching or shunting.
 3. Transportation installation according to claim 1, characterized in that the main track includes a conveyor substantially parallel to the ground and with which at least one of said components on each vehicle can work, and in that the side track is formed essentially by at least one rail which runs alongside the conveyor at least in each switching or shunting zone and with which at least one of the said components on each vehicle can work.
 4. Transportation installation according to claim 3, characterized in that the side track comprises, before each station of the installation, means for braking the wheels of the vehicle to be stopped at the station.
 5. Transportation installation according to claim 3, characterized in that the side track comprises, beyond each station of the installation, means to accelerate a vehicle which is stopped at the station up to the speed of the conveyor.
 6. Installation according to claim 5, characterized in that the secondary or side track is formed essentially by a single rail placed, at least in each switching or shunting zone, just above the conveyor.
 7. Transportation installation according to claim 3, characterized in that the side track generally parallels the conveyor where the side track passes through a station of the installation and in that each vehicle comprises means for gradually varying the relative speed of the vehicle and the conveyor between a maximum value at which the vehicle is stopped relative to the station and a zero value at which the vehicle is entrained without slip by the conveyor.
 8. Transportation installation according to claim 7, characterized in that the speed-varying means of each vehicle are of the fluid-powered type and are fed from the set of vehicle suspension bellows which is fuller at the time.
 9. Transportation installation according to claim 3, characterized in that each vehicle comprises an arm having a free end that forms a fork with two superposed arms and that the said at least two components of the vehicle are suspended respectively from the upper and lower arms of the said fork by means of the two sets of bellows.
 10. Installation according to claim 9, characterized in that the side track is formed essentially by two rails placed on either side of the horizontal conveyor and in that one of the said at least two components comprises at least two wheels engageable with the side track and rotatably mounted on the uppermost of the said arms, and another of the said components comprises a plate mounted on the lowermost of the arms for resting upon the conveyor, and in that there is provided means for selectively arranging the positioning of the wheels and plate in a first arrangement in which the plate rests upon the conveyor and the wheels are spaced above the side track and a second arrangement in which the wheels are in contact with the side track and the plate is spaced above and free of support from the conveyor.
 11. Transportation installation according to claim 10, characterized in that the installation comprises means for gradually varying the speed of the vehicle including an endless belt guided to pass between the plate and the conveyor on which it rests and means for gradually braking the movement of entrainment communicated by the conveyor to the said endless belt.
 12. Transportation installation according to claim 1, characterized in that the means for temporarily opening the communication between the two sets of bellows while the vehicle is in a switching or shunting zone are controlled by means for comparing a coded indication of the destination carried by the vehicle with a coded indication placed at the entrance to the said switching or shunting zone.
 13. Transportation installation according to claim 12, characterized in that each station served by a secondary or side track is bracketed by two switching or shunting zones, and the means for temporarily opening communication between the two sets of bellows on a vehicle in the switching or shunting zone situated beyond each station are operated by closing the doors of the said vehicle on leaving the station.
 14. Transportation installation according to claim 1, characterized in that each of the two sets of suspension bellows of the vehicle comprises at least two pairs of mutually communicating bellows, one of which pairs is aligned in one of the two directions including the direction of movement of the vehicle and the other of which pairs is aligned in the direction perpendicular thereto.
 15. Transportation installation according to claim 1, characterized in that each vehicle comprises springs tending to compress the bellows.
 16. A transportation installation including: an overhead main track comprising a movable conveyor; a switching track extending alongside the main track; and a car movable by said conveyor along said main track, said car having first means engageable with said conveyor for zero relative motion between the car and conveyor during at least part of the time in which the car is moved by the conveyor and second means on said car engagable with said switching track, for selectively supporting said car on said conveyor and said side track, respectively.
 17. The installation of claim 16, wherein said first means comprises a first support means movable vertically relative to said car between a first, lower, operative position wherein said support means engages said conveyor and a second, upper, inoperative position wherein it is out of engagement with said conveyor, and said second means comprises second support means movable between a lower, operative position wherein it is engageable with said side track and an upper, inoperative position wherein it is out of engagement with the side track, and third means for moving said first and second support means between their operative and inoperative positions.
 18. The installation of claim 17 wherein said first and second support means include first and second bellows connecting said first and second support means, respectively, to said car, and said third means comprises conduit means for connecting said first and second bellows for permitting flow of fluid therebetween, and valving means operatively associated with said conduit means for selectively permitting flow of fluid from said first bellows into second bellows when the first support means is engaged with said conveyor by the force of the weight of the car exerted on said first bellows and for selectively permitting flow from said second bellows into the said first bellows by the force of the weight of the car exerted on said second bellows when said second support means is in engagement with said side track.
 19. The installation of claim 18, and brake means operatively associated with said first support means for varying the force of frictional engagement of said first support means with said conveyor.
 20. The installation of claim 19, wherein said brake means is operable by the fluid pressure from said first bellows means and the frictional force of engagement of said first support means with said conveyor means in accordance with the fluid pressure in said second bellows.
 21. The installation of claim 20, and second brake means operatively associAted with said second support means for varying the force of frictional engagement of said second support means with said conveyor.
 22. The installation of claim 21, wherein said second brake means is operable by the force of fluid pressure from said second bellows means and the frictional force of engagement of said second support means with said track varies in accordance with the fluid pressure in said second bellows.
 23. A car for use in transportation installation having an overhead main track comprising a movable conveyor and a side track extending alongside the main track, said car including first means engageable with the conveyor and a second means engageable with said side track for supporting said car selectively on said conveyor for movement therewith and on said side track, respectively, the car being characterized in that said first means comprises first support means movable vertically relative to said car between a first, lower, operative position wherein said support means is engageable with the conveyor and a second, upper, inoperative position out of engagement with the conveyor, and said second means comprises a second support means movable between a lower, operative position wherein it is engageable with the side track and an upper, inoperative position wherein it is out of engagement with the side track, the car further comprising third means for moving said first and second means between their operative and inoperative positions, the first and second support means including first and second bellows connecting said first and second support means, respectively, to said car, and said third means comprising conduit means for connecting said first and second bellows for permitting flow of fluid therebetween, there being provided valving means operatively associated with said conduit means for selectively permitting flow of fluid from said first bellows into said second bellows by the force of the weight of the car exerted on said first bellows when said first support means is engaged with the conveyor and for selectively permitting flow from said second bellows into said first bellows by the force of the weight of the car exerted on said second bellows when said second support means is engaged with the side track.
 24. The car of claim 23, and brake means operatively associated with said first support means for varying the force of frictional engagement of said first support means with the conveyor.
 25. The installation of claim 24 wherein the said brake means is operable by the fluid pressure from the first bellows and the frictional force of engagement of said first support means with said conveyor means varies in accordance with the fluid pressure in said first bellows. 